Brodie Kostecki has secured the first Repco Supercars Championship Grand Final spot after scoring victory in a bruising Sandown affair.
The Shell V-Power Racing Team driver was forced to fight for the victory after overtaking Finals rivals Will Brown and Cam Waters on the way to scoring his ninth victory of the season.
Matt Payne started his Penrite Racing Ford Mustang from pole and led the early running from Monster Castrol Racing driver Waters, who lost position to Will Brown on lap 8.
Brown’s Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate Broc Feeney was another to lose ground, with Kostecki taking fourth as the battle behind for sixth between Cooper Murray and Thomas Randle proved vigorous.
After receiving a tap from Randle leading onto the front straight, Murray defended by closing the Monster Castrol Racing Mustang towards the inside wall leading to a bad sportsmanship flag being displayed for the PremiAir Racing driver.
Payne was dominating out front until the LIQUI MOLY Blahst Racing Mustang of Aaron Cameron burst into flames at Turn 1 before coming to a stop prior two corners later to allow Marshalls to extinguish the fire.
This led to all drivers entering pit lane and Payne proved the biggest loser after a slow jump dropped him behind rival Brown in addition to Kostecki.
It was a lengthy clean-up to remove Cameron’s Mustang and at the restart the pressure was on.
Kostecki enjoyed a pass advantage compared to Brown as the pair duelled for the lead, with Payne in close quarters also.
Making his move at Turn 1, Kostecki was able to fend off Brown’s attempt to re-take the lead at Turn 4 resulting in the Red Bull Ampol Racing Mustang rotating and stalling dropping it to the back of the field.
Brown needed a safety car and his prays were answered when Jackson Walls locked up at Turn 9 requiring the Objective Racing entry’s extraction from the sand trap.
Every driver came in for their final stops, with Payne once again losing in the lane by losing ground to Kostecki and Waters.
Waters was in front once the race restarted, but it wasn’t for long as Kostecki went down the inside at Turn 6 forcing both Mustangs to take to the run-off area.
While Kostecki and Waters safely returned to the track, Payne was holding back the advances of Feeney, while Chaz Mostert was beginning to enter calculations in the Mobil 1 Optus Racing Toyota GR Supra.
Finalists started to struggle as the race entered its final stages leading to Waters dropping back and Feeney dramatically losing ground.
Contact from Mostert led to a re-dress and Waters was able to hold on to the final step of the podium behind Kostecki and Payne.
Mostert finished ahead of an impressive Blanchard Racing Team Mustang of James Golding, with DEWALT Racing’s Anton De Pasquale, Murray, R&J Batteries Racing driver Andre Heimgartner, Macauley Jones for Brad Jones Racing and Bendix Racing rookie Zach Bates completing the top 10.
It was a disastrous race for Red Bull Ampol Racing with Feeney scoring 11th and Brown back in 20th after receiving a 15s penalty after coming into contact with Cam Hill.
The Sunday action at Sandown begins at 10:45am AEDT with Qualifying.